Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-11-08
STOPPING Forward.
On the subject OF STOPPING forward the

London Lancet gives this advice:
Every one knows that STOPPING forward,
particularly after rising quickly from the
bed in the morning, when the stomach Is
empty and the heart has less than ordinary
support from the viscera below the Ola.
phragm, is very apt to occasion form OF
faintness with vertigo not unlike that which
occurs in seasickuess. We do not at the
moment speak of the faintness and 0iddl-
ness from cerebral anamia, which are direct
w consequent upon suddenly assuming the
erect after long continuing in the recumbent
posture but of the more alarming sensation
of being in the centre of objects which are
rapidly passing away, usually from left to
RIGHT, with loss CT power to stand or even
sit, and an almost nightmare feeling of ina
bility to call for help or do anything to avert
catastrophe, while throughout the expe.
rience the sufferer retains painfully acute
consciousness. This, we say, is familiar as
one at least of the effects not uncommonly
produced by STOPPING forward under the
special conditions indicated.
With many other varieties of the vertigo
consequent upon heart weakness or cerebral
anpmia observation or experience has made
US ell acquainted. We cannot, however,
help thinking that the consequence of even
partial compression of veins of the neck, OF.
fering an obstacle to the return OF blood
from the head, with lis important organs,
are not so we'll recognized. The peculiar
| form-or more accurately, the several forms
of headached Distinctly caused in this way
when the head is long bowed forward on the
chest, bending the neck on itself, cannot
fall to occur to every one; nor will the high
tension OF the eyeball, the turgid and heavy
eyelids, the snuffiing nose, the deafness,
with buzzipg or throbbing in the ears, the
heavy breathing and the pulled and per-
haps flushed or daraened color of the face
resulting from the INSTRUCTED venous crcu
lation through the bended neck be forgot
ten. There arc other and more perilou5,
though secondary, effects of leaning forward
when the heart is weak or tine blood vessels
are not go strong as they ought to be, which
should not DO overlooked.
Beyond question the extra strain thrown
upon the apparstls of the circulation by
anything that impedes the free passage of
blood through almost any part eff the venous
system ia more severe and dangerous than q
physically equal strain thrown on the arte-
ries At least this is go in adult life, aid
without going further into details in connec-
ton with the modus operendi OF the mis-
chief to which we point. il may be permissl'
BILE TO urge that the subject is one to which
attention may be usefuly directed. The
weakly and those who ere not unlikely to
have hearts readily overburdened and blood
vessels stretched beyond recovery, or even
ruptured, should be warned quite as earnest.
Iyagainst suddenly assuming, or too long re
tanning. pastures which do, however slightly
and partially, impede the return of blood
through the veins. Weknow how prolonged
sitting may cause the veins of the legs to
become distended, and either give way or
permit the extravasation of their contents.
When this sort of thing happens, even
though in comparatively trifling degree, in
the case OF vessels directly connected with
such delicate organs as the eye, the ear and
the brain, it is easy to see that the results
may be very serious in their character, and
probably few pastures commonly taken up
by persons who lead somewhat sedentary
lives are so prone 10 do nj. chief unnotced
as that of leaning forward, as at work at
table which is not sufficiently high 10 insure
the head being go raised that the veins OF
the neck may not be in any way compressed
or the return of blood from the head embsr
rassed or delayed We sec reason to believe
that if this apparently email matter were
generally understood there would be fewer
head and heart troubles and we will 60 80
far as to say that some lives now lost would
be saved"